Month: February 2013

North Korea News Today

Earthquake in North Korea Signals Possible Nuclear Test

The United States Geological Survey detected a 4.9 magnitude earthquake in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.   South Korean sources confirm a ‘man-made’ explosion in North Korea, with the USGS placing the epicenter near known DPRK nuclear testing sites.   China’s Earthquake Administration and Japan’s Meteorological Agency also confirmed reports of an earthquake, with […]

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North Korea News Today

Poorly Produced North Korean Propaganda Video Shows US City in Flames

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, reportedly in the preparation stages for a nuclear test, posted a video to YouTube depicting a city in the United States, presumably New York, after a missile attack. The video is set to the tune of ‘We Are The World‘ and features an astronaut launched into space aboard a […]

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News

Chinese Bridge Destroyed in Fireworks Explosion

A heavy fog fell over Yihang bridge prior to the explosion that killed at least 6 people and destroyed a 80 meter section of the bridge and sent cars plummeting to the ground near Sanmenxia city. The southern portion of Yihang bridge is entirely collapsed while the northern section remains impassable. That the force of […]

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North Korea News Today

Japan Launches 2 Intelligence Satellites Amid Tensions with North Korea

Japan launched two intelligence satellites, an operational radar satellite and an experimental optical probe, into orbit.   Both of the satellites were launched atop the Japanese-produced H-IIA rocket and were planned long before North Korea’s latest missile test and international provocations.   Japan’s intelligence satellite program began in 1998 after North Korea successfully launched a […]

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Science & Technology

Republic of Korea Successfully Launches Naro Space Rocket

South Korea successfully launched its first-ever space rocket, the Naro, according to Lee Ju-ho, minister of education, science and technology.   The Korea Aerospace Research Institute announced the Korea Space Launch Vehicle-1 (KSLV-1) – or Naro – deployed its payload, the Science and Technology Satellite-2C and placed it into orbit above the Earth.   South Korea’s 2009 and […]

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North Korea News Today

North Korea Declares Martial Law, Signaling Possible Nuclear Test

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has declared a state of martial law according to a news release by the Joongang Daily with Kim Jong-un telling his troops to be prepared for war. The nuclear test was expected on February 16 in order to celebrate the birthday of departed Dear Leader Kim Jong-il but these […]

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Music
Video Game Music

Temple of Drifting Sands, NieR Gestalt & NieR Replicant (Original Soundtrack)

Composed by Keiichi Okabe, 2010’s NiER from Square Enix is one of the finer examples of the type of quality soundtrack one expects to hear on a Japanese game. Ethereal echoing voices and sonorous vocals help convey the sentiment of wandering through a vast and lonely desert. The ability to paint images in the mind with […]

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News

The Return of Stalingrad

The Russian metropolis of Volgograd resumed its Soviet World War II-era name of Stalingrad on Saturday to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Stalingrad.   The name change will be accompanied by concerts, military parades, and attended by President Vladimir Putin. The city was initially named Stalingrad in 1925 after the Soviet leader […]

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News

The Rise of Macau: How the World’s Gambling Capital Transformed Itself

Macau, once a colony of Portugal and only handed back over to China a little over a decade ago, is the gambling capital of the world with five times the annual gambling revenue of Las Vegas.   Benjamin Carlson’s Broken Tooth and New Macau for Foreign Press is a tale of gambling, organized crime, and urban resurgence that uses […]

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North Korea News Today

North Korea and the Opportunity for a Chinese-Led Solution

Often the People’s Republic of China takes a lenient stance towards its ally the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, which is why it was surprising that China signed a UNSC resolution condemning North Korea’s missile tests and authorizing the imposition of further sanctions on the regime in Pyongyang.   China’s willingness to rein in its […]

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